Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 16th August 2024

 

Daughter of former Thai PM to be voted to power 

•  Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will be nominated as the country's new Prime Minister in a parliamentary vote, her party and its coalition partners said on Thursday. 
• The move follows the removal of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin by court order over an ethical violation a day earlier. 
• Leaders of the 11 party-coalition led by Ms. Pae- tongtarn's populist Pheu Thai party declared their support for her at a news conference on Thursday after the party's secretary-general Sorawong Thienthong announced her candidacy. Ms. Paetongtarn thanked her party and the coalition partners for their support, adding she is ready to move the country forward. 
• "I have confidence in Pheu Thai. I have confidence in all government coalition parties to bring our country out of the economic crisis," she said. Pheu Thai had campaigned heavily on improving Thailand's sluggish economy. 
• Mr. Srettha was ousted on Wednesday after less than a year in office. 

Nalin Prabhat set to take over as J&K DGP from October 

• The Union Home Ministry on Thursday appointed Indian Police Service officer Nalin Prabhat Special Director-General of the Jammu & Kashmir Police. Mr. Prabhat will take over as the Director-General of Police of the Union Territory in October. 
• Mr. Prabhat will succeed R.R. Swain, who will retire on attaining superannuation on September 30. 
• Mr. Prabhat takes up his post in J&K at a time when militancy is posing a major challenge in the wake of stepped-up attacks by battle-hardened militants trained in jungle warfare. More than 18 gun battles have been reported in J&K since June this year. 
• Mr. Prabhat is considered an old hand in tackling insurgency in Kashmir, and earned goodwill within the security forces during his postings to J&K in the past. 
• He has already served as the Deputy Inspector General, South Kashmir, Ops Range, and in the Srinagar Sector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He also served as the Inspector General, Kashmir, Ops Sector, CRPF. 
• He was commended by a former J&K Chief Minister for tackling militancy in J&K. 
• His work earned him the Antrik Suraksha Seva Padak, and the Police (Special Duty) Medal and Bar in J&K. 

Indian astronomers find new method to predict amplitude of next solar cycle 

• Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have found a new method to predict the amplitude of the upcoming solar cycle. Besides, their research can also help in space weather forecasting. 
• The astronomers have discovered a new correlation using 100 years of solar data from the IIA's Kodaikanal Observatory. Solar 
• The intricacies of the solar cycle and forecasting space weather are important fields of current research, including in India. 
• What is space weather? "The main components of space weather are the solar wind, coronal mass ejections, and solar flares. They can compress the magnetosphere of the Earth and trigger geomagnetic storms, which can affect communication and power transmission, damage spacecraft electronics, and threaten the lives of astronauts. Thus, space weather has a profound influence on modern civilization," said the Department of Science and Technology.
• Astronomers use many different ways to forecast the strength of the next solar cycle. This includes theoretical calculations based on dynamo models, extrapolations, precursor methods, etc. 
• The precursor method uses the value of some measure of solar activity at a specified time to predict the strength of the following solar maximum. 
• In a recently-published work, IIA researchers discovered that the width of the super granular cells on the solar surface during the minimum year of the solar cycle is related to the number of sunspots seen during the subsequent solar cycle maximum. This simple method can be used in space weather forecasting. 

Centre launches new Al-based surveillance system to manage pests, connect scientists with farmers 

• The Union government on Thursday launched the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) powered by artificial intelligence to help farmers to connect with agriculture scientists and experts by mobile 5 phones on controlling pests. 
• Launching the programme, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the aim was to reduce the dependence of farmers on pesticide retailers and to inculcate a 5 scientific approach among them towards pest management. The NPSS will analyse latest data using Al e tools to help farmers and experts in pest control and management. 
• Releasing the system at an event at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Mr. Chouhan said, "All new developments. 
• He said technology should reach the fields and the field of agriculture should be beneficial for the farmers." He added that increasing yield was a priority for the Modi government. "Farmers need better seeds for increasing productivity. Our scientific community is working along with the farmers towards this," he said. 
• "Using the correct quantity of the correct pesticide at the correct time is the challenge and this system will help farmers to address this challenge," Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi told The Hindu. 
•  He said it will also help in addressing the problem of using excessive pesticides.
•  "This system can help cure diseases at the proper time using technology. It will help in accurate diagnosis and accurate treatment. This will build confidence among farmers and production will also increase. This can save the soil too. It is a technological platform and needs no additional funding," he said.
• NPSS is such an effort. "If we get to know about the pest attack at the beginning of the attack, it will help in a fast cure. This system will help in identifying pests and controlling them. The benefit of this technology must go to farmers," the Minister said. 
• The Ministry said the NPSS would help about 14 crore farmers in the country. The Centre envisages connecting scientists with farmers using it. Farmers can take photos of the infested crops or the insect using the system on their phones and this will reach scientists and experts. 
• Mr. Chaturvedi added that the technology will be sent to the States and they can propagate this using their outreach programmes. "We have successfully done pilot schemes on this system and it was released based on proper trials," he said. 

Digital boost to revive solar power installation scheme

• With delays plaguing the *34,000-crore PM-KUSUM programme launched to boost solar energy infrastructure in agriculture, States have begun experimenting with alternative approaches to improve adoption. The Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) envisages setting up 100 GW of solar power plants in farmer-owned land, installing 14 lakh solar pumps, and solarising 35 lakh grid connected agricultural pumps.
• As of June, only 256 MW of power plants, 3.97 lakh solar pumps and 13,500 solarised pumps have been installed. The low uptake has forced the government to push the scheme's deadline to 2026. 
• A key hurdle is the unavailability of suitable land. Solar power in India has grown on the back of utility-scale power projects in Gujarat and Rajasthan where vast tracts of deserts and uncultivable land are suitable for setting up power plants.
• With agricultural land, it is often a challenge to find enough parcels of land that can be pooled together and made available to a power project developer, said Saurabh Kumar, Vice President-India, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). The latter is a collaboration of the IKEA Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, and works on clean energy adoption and financing the transition away from fossil fuel in developing countries.
• "We have been working with the Rajasthan government by developing a digital platform that uses drone technology to map land parcels. While this is information that is available to the government, often there is little institutional capacity to actually execute projects," said Mr. Kumar. "We connect with farmers and power developers." 
• "As of date, 12.3 MW has already been installed in Rajasthan. The plan is to touch 100 MW in 2024," said Mr. Kumar. Plans are afoot to apply this approach in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh as well, he added. 

NATIONAL 

Renewable Energy Capacity 2024 

• India's installed renewable energy capacity has increased by 165 per cent over the past decade. 
• It is rising from 76.38 Gigawatts (GW) in 2014 to 203.1 GW in 2024. 
• India has achieved 4th position globally in RE Installed Capacity. 
• India stood 4th in Wind Power capacity and 5th in Solar PV capacity. 
• For the first time, the country has crossed 200 GW capacity from non-fossil fuel sources. 
• It includes 85.47 GW of solar power and 46.93 GW of large hydro, 46.66 GW of wind power, 10.95 GW of biopower, and 5.00 GW of small hydropower. 

National News 

BHEL gets 1,600 MW thermal power project from Damodar Valley Corporation

•  State-owned BHEL has secured a 1,600 MW project from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).
• The coal-based unit will be set up in the Koderma district of Jharkhand on an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) basis. 
• The 2×800 MW Koderma Supercritical Thermal Power Project (STPP) has been awarded through International Competitive Bidding (ICB). 
• This is the first such project in terms of capacity for DVC and will be set up adjacent to its existing 2×500 MW units set up by BHEL earlier. It has a long-standing partnership with DVC and has installed over 80 percent of the coal-based power stations of the utility in Jharkhand and West Bengal. 
• The new project from DVC includes supply, erection and commissioning, along with civil works. 
• The key equipment for the project will be supplied by BHEL’s manufacturing units.

About Bharat 

• Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) 
• Establishment – 1956 
• Headquarters – New Delhi 
• BHEL works as a part of the Government of India and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Heavy Industry. 
• It has the distinction of being the largest manufacturer of power generation equipment under government ownership. 

Chhattisgarh govt. to develop fourth tiger reserve in State 

• Chhattisgarh government decided to declare a new tiger reserve covering areas of Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla wildlife sanctuary in the state. 
• This will be the fourth tiger reserve in the state. 
• Creation of the tiger reserve will lead to the development of eco-tourism and also generate employment opportunities for villagers living it's the core and buffer areas. 
• As per the recommendation of State Wildlife Board and the consent of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Union Ministry of Forest and Climate Change, the cabinet has decided to notify Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in an area of 2,829.387 sq km. 
• Currently, the state has three tiger reserves – Indravati (in Bijapur district), Udanti-Sitanadi (Gariaband) and Achanakmar (Mungeli). 

About Chhattisgarh 

• Capital – Raipur 
• Chief Minister – Vishnu Deo Sai (replace Bhupesh Baghel) 
• Deputy CM – Arun Sao & Vijay Sharma 
• Governor – Biswabhusan Harichandan 
• Speaker of Chhattisgarh Assembly – Raman Singh 

Appointment 

Sandeep Poundrik takes charge as Secretary of Ministry of Steel 

• Sandeep Poundrik has assumed charge as Secretary of the Ministry of Steel. 
• He is a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre. Poundrik was in charge of the Additional Chief Secretary position in the Industries Department and also held additional charge for several other positions in the Government of Bihar. 
• He had previously served as Advisor in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. 

Recent Appointment 

• CMD of NHPC Ltd – Raj Kumar Chaudhary 
• Additional secretary in PMO – Amit Singh Negi 
• Director in Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) under Ministry of Corporate Affairs – Samir Ashwin Vakil 
• Deputy Election Commissioners in ECI – Maneesh Garg, Sanjay Kumar and Ajeet Kumar 
• Director general of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation – Ashok Kumar Singh 

Science 

IIT Bhubaneswar inks pact with IG Drones on disaster management R&D 

• IIT Bhubaneswar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IG Drones, a drone-tech and AI company, to establish an Advanced Drone Excellence Centre at the IIT Bhubaneswar Research and Entrepreneurship Park. The centre will focus on disaster management research and development. 
• This collaboration marks a significant milestone in advancing drone technology research and development in the field of disaster management, especially as India is a disaster-prone country 
• IG Drones has been active in disaster management since 2019, with experience from its work in Uttarakhand’s avalanche-affected regions, Sikkim’s landslides, and Odisha’s cyclone-prone areas. 
• The partnership with IIT Bhubaneswar Research and Entrepreneurship Park aims to further advance the development of drone technologies that can be deployed effectively during emergencies, providing critical support in disaster response and recovery efforts. 

IITs in News 

• IIT Madras Partners with IDBI Bank to Launch Cybersecurity Lab 
• C-DOT partners with IIT Roorkee and Mandi to boost 6G standardisation, connectivity 
• IIT Kanpur launched UDAAN programme to boost drone startups 
• IIT Dharwad Unveils Innovative Fire Rescue Drone 
• Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) signed MoU with the Indian IIT Hyderabad to collaborate on research and training 

Defence 

Indian Navy approves Mazagon Dock to build 6 submarines with German collaboration 

• Government-owned Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) has got the Indian Navy’s approval to build six submarines with the project worth Rs 60,000 crore. 
• The MDL in partnership with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will build the submarines that are being developed under ‘Project 75 India’. 
• MDL and ThyssenKrupp were competing against Larsen & Toubro and Navantia. The approval came after the MDL was informed by a Commodore-rank officer of the Indian Navy (Brigadier equivalent in the Army) that they had qualified for the trial requirements. 
• The deal is crucial for India to counter the increasing influence of China and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean Region. 
• Project 75 India aims to acquire diesel-electric attack submarines with AIP technology, making them larger and more advanced than current models. 

Recent MoU 

• SLRTC and Army Welfare Association sign MoU to Promote Indian Sign Language 
• BIS signs MoU with Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru to promote Standardisation 
• IGNCA signed a MoU with Sansad TV to make Indian art and culture more accessible to the people. 
• Cisco and Tata Communications partner to launch Webex Calling in India 
• AIIMS New Delhi signed MoU with University of Bolton Institute of Medicine 
• Mahindra & Mahindra sign MoU with MSDE for ‘Drone Didi’ Pilot Project 

DRDO successfully tested its first Long-Range Glide Bomb GAURAV 

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested its Long-Range Glide Bomb, GAURAV, off the coast of Odisha. 
• The smart bomb was dropped from the Indian Air Force’s Su-30 MK-I fighter plane. 
• The successful testing of the smart bomb is likely to enhance the Indian Air Force’s combat capability. 
• After being dropped from the fighter plane, the bomb pops out its wings and is guided to its target by an onboard satellite navigation system. These bombs are very useful for the Air Force as they can be fired from a safe distance from the enemy air defence system. 

About GAURAV Bomb 

• The Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad laboratory of the DRDO, is developing long-range glide bombs named GAURAV for the Indian Air Force. 
• GAURAV is a winged long-range glide bomb which weighs 1000 kg and has a glide range of 100 km.
• The Gaurav bomb has a hybrid navigation system, which combines the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS). 

Sports 

PB-BCL sign landmark deal to promote cricket 

• The Big Cricket League (BCL), a franchise-based T20 event that will offer aspiring local players a chance to play alongside their cricketing heroes, has joined hands with the national broadcaster Prasar Bharati in a landmark long-term deal. 
• The inaugural edition of BCL will be held in September this year in Lucknow. 
• BCL will be broadcast live on DD Sports across the country, and Prasar Bharati will also be promoting the league across its network. 
• The Big Cricket League’s first season will be televised internationally in more than 30 countries. It will feature six teams, namely Awadh Lions, Northern Challengers, Rajasthan Kings, Mumbai Marines, Southern Spartans, and Bengal Rhinos. 
• A council of eminent former cricketers, led by the League Commissioner and former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, will oversee the league. Former Indian pacer Rudra Pratap Singh is President and legendary West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh is Vice-President of BCL. 

Important day 

14 August – Partition Horrors Remembrance Day 

• India has observed the ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ every year on August 14 to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and were displaced during the country’s partition in 1947. 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in 2021 that August 14 would be observed annually as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’. 
• The observance aims to commemorate the sacrifices made by those who suffered during the Partition and to keep their memories alive. 
• India gained independence from British rule on August 15, 1947. While Independence Day is a joyous and proud occasion, the trauma of the partition that accompanied the birth of the newly independent nation left permanent scars on millions of Indians. 
• The partition resulted in one of the largest migrations in human history, affecting around 20 million people. Countless families were forced to leave their ancestral homes and start anew as refugees. 
• Partition Horrors Remembrance Day serves as a solemn reminder of the suffering endured and the resilience shown by those who lived through one of the most turbulent periods in India’s history. 

28th Central & State Statistical Organizations Conference Concluded in New Delhi. 

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (has organised the 28th conference of central and state statistical organisations. 
• The theme of this conference was the 'Use of Data for Decision Making-Strengthening State Statistical System. 
• A wide range of subjects of common interest between Central and State Government departments were discussed during the conference. 
• Representatives of more than 30 Central Ministries and departments with State and Union Territories attended the conference.
• Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh had inaugurated the conference. 

Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will be the new head coach of India's junior men's team. 

• Following India's bronze medal victory at the 2024 Olympics, Hockey India (HI) has announced that retiring goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will become the junior men's hockey team's next head coach. 
• PR Sreejesh had announced his retirement from the sport after the Paris Olympics. 
• India won the bronze medal for the second consecutive time by defeating Spain 2-1 due to the brilliant performance of the Indian goalkeeper. 
• In 2017, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, and in 2021, he was awarded the Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour. 

Rahul Navin has been appointed as Director of Enforcement Directorate. 

• A 1993 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Rahul Navin, has been appointed as the new director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). 
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Navin's appointment for a period of two years. 
• Before this appointment, Navin was serving as the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate. 
• Rahul Navin joined the ED in November 2019 as a Special Director (OSD). 
• He was appointed acting director of the ED after the tenure of Sanjay Kumar Mishra ended in September 2023. 

Directorate of Enforcement: 

• It investigates offences of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. 
• It is responsible for the enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act 2019 (FEMA), Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, and certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. 
• It works under the Union Finance Ministry. 
• Its headquarters is located in New Delhi and is headed by the Director of Enforcement 

Badminton World Federation (BWF) suspended para shuttler Pramod Bhagat. 

• BWF suspended him for a period of 18 months for breaching the anti-doping regulations. 
• He will remain suspended from all badminton-related activities until September 1, 2025. 
• As a result, he will miss the Paris Paralympics 2024. 
• Pramod Bhagat is a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medal winner. 
• The Badminton World Federation announced that Pramod has been suspended on account of failure. 
• As per the federation, the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) found Pramod committed three whereabouts failures within 12 months. 
• Bhagat appealed this decision to the Appeals Division of CAS. The appeal was dismissed in July 2024 category. 
• Pramod Bhagat is a SL3 category badminton player. He won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in men's singles SL3 

National Workshop on Women Leadership in Panchayats organised in New Delhi. 

• On August 14, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj organised a National Workshop on Leadership of Elected Women Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. This workshop proved to be a significant milestone in empowering women leaders at the grassroots level and acknowledging their vital role in the collective efforts towards a developed India. 
• The workshop was organised as a part of the 78th Independence Day celebrations. 
• Around 400 Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) and Elected Representatives (ERs) from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). were invited as special guests. 
• The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Kiran Bedi, former Lt. Governor of Puducherry and Founder of Navjyoti India Foundation and India Vision Foundation, and others. 

On 15th August 2024, 78th Independence Day celebrated in India. 

• The Prime Minister hoisted the national flag at the iconic Red Fort and inspected the Guard of Honour. 
• The Government of India has declared the theme for this year to be Viksit Bharat, or Developed India. 
• It symbolises the vision of a developed nation by 2047 and reflects the Government's commitment to transform India. 
• The year 2047 will be the 100th year of India's Independence from colonial rule. 
• On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi said that 75 thousand new medical seats will be added in the country in the next five years. 
• Mr Modi said students spend crores of rupees for medical education abroad, so the government will create 75,000 new medical seats in the next five years. 
• Independence Day commemorates India's independence from British colonial rule for over 200 years on 15 August 1947. 
• On August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, hoisted the national flag at the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. 

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the NPSS. 

• National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) is a digital initiative by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. 
• NPSS utilises technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to provide Get 
• NPSS comprises a user-friendly mobile app and a web portal. These ensure its accessibility for all management advisories. 
• NPSS enables accurate pest identification, monitoring, management 
• NPSS provides quick solutions to pest attacks and crop diseases. 

Sperm or Egg donor cannot claim to be Children's biological parent: High Court. 

• The Bombay High Court ruled that a sperm or egg donor has no legal right to the child and cannot claim to be its biological parent. 
• The High Court has granted a 42-year-old woman visitation rights to her five-year-old twin daughters. 
• The woman said that her daughters, born via surrogacy, were living with her husband and younger sister, who was the egg donor.
• The petitioner's husband claimed that his sister-in-law was the egg donor, so she has a legitimate right to be called the biological parent of the twins. 
• The court said the role of the younger sister is that of an egg donor, she may only qualify as a genetic mother. 
• The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, prohibits commercial surrogacy. 
• In 2021, the Indian government introduced a new surrogacy law to regulate surrogacy in India.